Her Promised Land
by Pinoko K
Summary: Aerith in her Promised Land. And she had a visitor.


**Her Promised Land**

By Pinoko K

**Disclaimer**: Final Fantasy VII belongs to Square Enix. This is only for my own amusement, and a tribute to the game. This is not for profits.

--

Tiny yellow flowers expanded through the horizon, forming an endless patch of yellow blanket underneath her feet. The flowers were different than those she used to grow in her church, but she liked them just the same. The sky above was forever blue as if the sun never slept. For many years, she had always wondered just how blue sky would be on a sunny day. And now, she only had to look up, and the blue sky would forever smile at her.

So this was the Promised Land - _her_ Promised Land, where eternal happiness was to be granted to all Cetra. Eternal happiness… Was she happy?

_I wonder, little flowers, are you happy?_

She should be. Her life might be tragically short - merely twenty-two years of age, with all those dreams left unfulfilled. But in her death, she protected the Planet, and saved many lives, including those she loved dearly.

Including his.

_The sky is just above you. I wonder, little flowers, are you happy?_

And now, he was back on his feet. His guilt from her death had finally subsided. For that, she was relieved. She'd never blamed him. Not even once. There was only regret, for not having the chance to get to know the real him when she was alive. She knew him now, through lifestream, the real Cloud. He was more endearing then the persona he'd pretended to be. He was Cloud, not Zack; a lonely, quiet boy, who had never really grown up.

She had an urge to give him a hug, or to tease him playfully, anything to make him crawl out of his shell. She had done it before and had been rewarded by glimpses of his true self. She knew she could do it again if she had a chance.

If only she had another chance.

_There is no upper plate above our heads. The sky is just above you. I wonder, little flowers, are you happy?_

He now knew he wasn't alone. He never was. She had always been there. Even during the time he camped out at her church. She had always been there, by his side, watching over him.

The distant sound of motorcycle announced his arrival. He was here, coming closer and closer. She knew he could see her, hear her, or even touch her if she allowed it. He was special in that way. Perhaps in his heart he was still a child; for only children could see her.

She studied him as he walked into the flower field. His hair, the color of the flowers; his eyes, the color of the sky. He glanced around the endless horizon, searching… But he couldn't see her, just as she intended to. He sat down with his legs crossed, plucking up one flower, and held it gently between his gloved fingers.

"Remember the first time we met?"

_Sector One reactor bombing._

"Sector One reactor bombing. You stopped me and asked me what's going on…"

_And you bought a flower._

"And I bought a flower."

He paused with a ghostly smile on his face.

"And the next time I met you, I fell through the roof of your church. You asked me to be your bodyguard."

_For a date._

"…For a date."

He chuckled quietly at distant memories.

"That was my first date. But don't tell anyone."

_I won't._

"…Thank you."

_For what?_

"Thank you for everything."

He glanced around yellow flower field once more before tilting his head up to the blue sky.

"I know you can hear me. So thank you."

_You are very welcome._

"I wish I could do something for you in return… For you… And for Zack."

_Live, Cloud. Live._

"Maybe I'll bring you a flower next time. Not a yellow one. You have so many of them here."

_A pink one._

"A pink one?"

He lowered his back on the flower field and folded his arms behind his head as a pillow, allowing himself to enjoy the gentle breeze and floral scent. For the first time for as long as he could remember, he was truly at peace.

"Is this Promised Land?"

_Yes. Yes, it is._

He slowly closed his eyes and drifted to sleep, completely oblivious to the pink-clad figure sitting right next to him, guarding him as she always had, enjoying his company even though he couldn't see her.

_I am happy, little flower. Are you?_

--

A/N: This is inspired by the ending credit FMV in Advent Children, and by the yellow flowers on Cloud's desk, as well as all those photos of yellow flower fields he had scattered on his desk. "I wonder, little flowers, are you happy?" is Aerith's line in Crisis Core.


End file.
